Shutter for computing machines



Agg; 9. 1927. 1,638,514

A. VANDERVELD SHU'I'TER FOR COMPUTING MACHINES Filed mm1 s. 1922 's sheets-sheet 1 lnue'nor (nhonVandervekd.

Mforneg;

Aug. 9, 1927.

Y A. VANDERVELD SHUTTER Fox COMPUTING MACHINES 'Filed April 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inueglor A I nhonVandem-)eld @Warne IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Augg 1927' A. VANDERVELD 'SHUTTER FOR COMPUTING MACHINES s sheets-sheet 3 Filed Abril 3. 1922 maf 6 mw m M6 l. ed w Um/w mvv/.a

- Ammon@ T1@ @Lf Patented Aug. 9, y 1927.

e UNITED STATES ANTHONY VANDERVELD, OF GRAND. RAPIDS; MICHIGAN.

SHUTTER FOR COMPUTING MACHINES.

Application med April 3,

rIhis invention relates to a shutter1 for use in combined measuring and computing machines, of the type shown inmy- Patent No. 1,420,612, issuedv June 2O, 1922.k In suchmachine, a computing chart is visible at portions thereof through two elongated openings in a member at the upper part of the machine, and armeasurement indicator is also visible, showingthe yards and additional fractions or inches of a yard that has been measured, the computations on the chart being with relation to fractions of a yard but not with respect to inches measurement. If a certain number of inches of goods over and above the required number of yards is desired, and. such number of inches does. not coincide with a fractional part of a yard as selected .for the computations, it is, apparent that the computing chart does notv give an accurate computation, whilesome computations will be visible and may be mistaken by the clerk for the proper cost of the goods measured. For Y instance, if eleveninches of` goods or if any definite number of yards plus eleven inches should be. bought and measured, the nearest fractional computation would be for three eighths of a yard, or thirteen and one-half inches, and if the clerk should mistakenly with my invention, showing the shutter in take such computations for Lthe goodssold, the customer would pay for twoandonehalf inches more of the goods than was received..

rI he measuring indicatorshows both inches and fractions ofthe yard so'that the goods be accurately measured should the customer wish to buy either way.` The present invention is directed to a shutter mechanism whichl mayk be manually operated to either open or closed position when the'machine is at zero position, and at no other time, completely covering the Vopenings through which the computing. chart characters are visible when in closed A position and also covering the inches indicating characters of the measurement indicator so that the fractional indications` only are visible. Vhen in open position, the shutter is moved so that the computations and inches of measurement are both visible. Mechanism is present in the machine such that after the shutter has been moved manually to either open or. closed position when at Zero position, the movement of the mechanism awayv from such zero. positionserves to automatically, lock the shutter in4 either .1922. seriai No. 549,150.

position to which it has-.been moved and such lock is effective at all positions ofthe measuring. mechanism except the zero position, so thatno` changing of' position vof the shutter can be had after a measuringfopera'- tion has been started. Accordingly, if a customer wishes to buy a certain number of inches or yards and inches of goods, the shutter is'movedv to closed position while the machine is at Zero position and before the measuring .operation is started, the goods measured and the computation therefor performed by the clerk without reference to the machine; On return of the machine to its zero position, the shutter may be left in closed position or opened'if the next measuring operation is to be for fractions orv yards and fractions of a yard, in which case the computation-for the goods sold is taken from the chart. p

My invention has for its object and purpose the attainment of the above described ends, together with others not specifically enumerated, but which will appear fully as understanding'of the invention-is had from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in

- n whi ch,

Fig. 1 is a plan of the .'machine equipped dotted lines and in open position.

Fig. 2 is a like. view with the shutter closed.L i

Fim-3 is a'longitudinal'vertical section` through themachine.I y

Fig. t is a fragmentary horizontal section and'plan on the plane of line 1r-4:, of Fig. 3.

'Fig'. 5 is a similar plan and' section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3. .y

Fig. 6'is a transverse vertical section on the plane of line 6 6, of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is an under plan view ofthe shutter and plate on whichr it is mounted, showing kthe locking mechanism in inoperative position, and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary under plan, showing the locking mechanism in operative position. Y

Like referenceY ,characters refer to like parts in the -several figures of the drawings andthe sections taken are shown in the directions indicated by the arrows associated with the section lines.

The machine mechanisrnis housed within a casing g1 andcarried'chiefly on ar base 1a.

`The casing 1 at itsy frontV lower rportion has,v

made being filled with a glass 5.

rlhe mechanism of the machine is mounted on and carried by a supporting frame within the casing, including two vertical side platea 6, a` rear end plate 'i' and a front -end ilate 7, said frame alates arallelinfr l l e and being` spaced aV short distance from the sides and ends of the casing. A chart car- Vrying frame comprised of side bars 8 and connecting cross bars9 is mounted on andV above the supporting frame the sides 8 restingon the upper edges of sides 6, as shown in F ig. 6. A chart 10 is mounted on suitable rollers 10" (see Fig. 3) mounted in the frame, directly under sheet metal plate 11 which is mounted and rests on the sides S of the chart carrying frame. 1late 11 has .two elongated openings 12 therethrough and on .its upper side at each opening a strip 13 carrying a series of prices per yard is fixed The chart is also printed with a series of cost figures, indicated at 141-, having a delinite relation to the price per yard figures on the strip 13.

on the chart in a series of columns, one for each yard and fractional part thereover that can be measured and` indicated by the machine, and it is designed that the columns f ligures corresponding to the amount measured and indicated shall come into view as such amounts are indicated, The mechanism for accomplishing this forms no part of the presentl invention and is not specifically shown andy described.

At its rear end, plate 11 has a portion 15 pressed downwardly to lie in a somewhat lower horizontal plane, being connected to the main plate 11`by integral connections 16V (see Fig. 5). A disk 17 of sheet metal, formed with two spaced apart upwardly turned Vears 18 at one side, is rotatably mounted on and above the part 15. An arm 19 projecting radially from the lower end of a rod 2O passes between the ears 18 (Figs. and 6), ,and said rod 20 passes through the top l of the casing and is equipped with a knurled head 21 for manual operation, the head, rod and arm being turned back and forth about the aXis of said rod 20. A pointer 22 (Fig. l) extends from thevhead and is adapted to be swung' from the inches indication at 23 on the upper side of the casing to the fractions indication at 241, or vice versa, as will be evident.

On the under side of the portion ilirectly under disk V17 is a second dish 25 These figures are printedy vof sheet metal (Figs. (i and 7), the two disks being permanently connected together byV a pin 26 located at' their centers aiid'jiriassing through the part 15, tlierdislis having a free rotative movement about the vertical axis of the pin 'Disk-25 at two spaced apart points in its periphery has notches 27 and 28 cut therein, 'the purpose of which will later appear. y

A link 29 is pivotally connected at 30 at one end tothe disk 25 at a pointbretw'een the two sets o'l notches 27 and 28, extending under the plate 11 for a distance and hav-V ing a pivotal connection at its et iI end to a bell crank Vlever 31, at the eiid o; one arm thereof shown at 32. rlhebell-crank lever is pivotally mounted between itsei'ids on a stu-d 33 which passes downwardly through the plate 11.' n'

A shutter plate of sheet inetahformed with a large elongated opening' `herein is located dirertly under 'the plate 1 and over linl 2S), having a pivotal connection at 36 to the opposite end of the lever 31 and at its front end having a pivotal connection at 37 to the upper disk 17. it is evident that on turning die .head 21, shutter plate moved both lengthwise and latera'llyjfroin one position, such as shown in ,.Fig. 7 to another position, shown in Fig. S. or vice versa. In the position shown in Fig. 8, the portions of the shutter plate at each side ot' the opening therethrough come directly under the openings 12 in plate lland shut oil any sight of the chart 10 underneath.

`Then moved to its extreme position in the opposite direction, or farther than shown in Fig. 7, and to the position shown in l 1 and 5, the openines oryslots" g l2 are uncov-l ered and free sight of the chart indicationst may be had.

ln this connection, a measuring indicator is visible through another ,opening 3S in the plate 11, beinginore or less covered by the' plate 34 in itsopened position, but ei'itircl-J uncovered in its closed position. This indi'- cator is operated automatically with the passage of cloth between the rollers and 3a, as follows.

The roller 3 which may be termed the measuring roller is fixed on a shaft 39 hor- Y izontally mounted on and between the plates 7 and 7a. a pinion l0 near the rear end lof the shaft driving train ot gearing, indicated at ell to drive a shaft 4t2 mounted above and parallel to shaft A measuring indicator drum il?) is secured on shaft 42 near its front end and directly under the opening 38 heretofore described. @n the rear portion of the drum, a consecutive series of figures are carried to indicate the inches in a yard, as shown at et (Fig. 3), and around the front portion' a second series of indicating characters for fractions of a yard are carried as shown at 45. The size of the weeg-514. 8

roller 3 and the relation of the gearing is such that for every yard of goodsV passed lengthwise between the rollers, shaft 42 and the attached drum, make a'hsingle complete revolution, andthe an'iounfts in inches or in fraction-cfa yard passed are disclosedaslthe measurement progresses on notingjthe drum. Normally, when' the machine is used for computing aswell asv measuring, with the shutter open, as in Fig. l, said shutter partly covers the `drum and the inches characters do not appear. In the other position, in Fig; 2, with the s hutterfclosed,.the opening 38 is entirely uncovered and the inches, as well asthefractionsappear for view.

In order to keep the shutter locked in either position to which it is manually turned,r when the mechanism is at zero position, the following construction is used: A lbloc-lr 1b (Fig. 3) is cast integral. with the base l and extends upwardly therefrom. From this block a. rod-46 extends to the rear on which'. a U-shaped `member of metal is loosely vmounted comprising two spaced apart legs 47, connected by a cross member 48. A tongue 49 extends from the cross bar into a slot in the forked end 50 (Fig. 4) of a lever 5l which is pivota'lly mounted betweenits ends` at 52 on the upper side of the block Ib, a finger 53 on the end ofthe lever extending horizontallyl across the block. A nutl 54 is mounted on a threaded portion of the shaft B9 and moves back an'd forth thereonvr with the lrotation of the measuring` roller in opposite directions. A pin 55 projects downwardly from the lower side of the nutand is guided in a slotl 56y in the upper side of block 1b. When the machinelis in zero position, the nut= 54 isvfarthest away from the' roller 3 and pin' 55 engages' the finger 53, turning the lever to 'thereby move the U-shaped member away vfromV its normalposition shownin dotted lines in Fig. 6 to-the full line position shown in said figure. Spr-ing 47a has a tendency to keep `the U-'shaped member in the 'v dotted line position.Y Y

An irregularly shaped' locking bar 57 is permanently secured at its lowerfendto one of the legs 47 `of the U-shaped' member, extending upwardly therefrom for a .distance nearly tothe plates 1l and '84' and then turnedY substantially at vright angles to make anarm 58, the end of whichl is received between two guide lips 59 (Figs. 6 and 7) depending from thefpart l5'to one side of thedisk 25 mounted on andunder the same. This arm 58 in the normal position' of the parts, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, is engaged in one of the notches of the two series of'not'ches 27 and 28, and will so engage whenever the machine is .away from zero position. in the zero position, the'a'rm 58' is moved away from'l the disk '25" and has no rengagementltherewith, at which time the operator is free to'chan-ge the position of5 the shutter.. VVitlithe shutter ina selected position, as soon as the measuring operation `isbegun,.withx al consequent movement of nutl 54` an'dr pin 55 toward roller B, Vthe locking'ofthe shutter against movement is accomplished: through the release of the `U-shaped member and the engagement ofthe at'ori; andmore ofthe-notches may be used,

if. itf seems advisable, there being a necessity ofy insuring that` the shutter is locked against morementeven though -carelessly operated.

nthe operation of the machine cloth is @placed betweenv the measuring roller 3 and thev pressure roller 3EL and with the drawing of' the-cloth between the rollers the measuring roller 3 is` operated to turn shaft 39 and throng-hf the gearing associated therewith and which is driven bythe pinion 40,-

shaft 42 is rotated thereby turning the indicator drum v43 and driving one of the rollers l0u so as to wind: the'chart thereon. This brings-the Acolumns'o'f computations 14`successively to the openings 12 in the plate l1 soias toiindicate the cost Ofthegoods which have'passed .between measuring and-pressure rollers into View. AttheY end of a measuring operation and', after the cost data has been taken .fromzthe chart and the measured length: of goods taken: from the indicators, a separation ofthe `measuring and pressure rollers permits thezentire niecha-nisni' to return to initialv star-ting positionvunder the foroeofza spring (not-shown) which is tensioned during the measuring operation of `the machine, the nut 54 returning to its initial starting position, shown in Fig. 3.-

This construction is vvery simple, practical and has provedits efliciency for the attainment of the ends desired-in anexceptionally satisfactory manner. In those States requiring the use of the same, it is an insuraznceagainst any' overcharging vof the customer for goods, or loss to the store proprietor from under charging. There can be no measurement iny inches when the shutter' is open to disclose computations, nor anyvtakingy of computations from the machine when a measurement in inches is made,- 'Simplicity of construction, coupled with the automatic locking of the shutter in any position to whichy moved as soon as the machine begins to function, combine to make the deviceone of merit. The inven- I have lUO llO

tion is defined in the appended claims and I consider myself entitled to all forms of structure coming within the scope thereof.

I claim:

l. In a measuring and computing machine, means for measuring al length of fabric material, means for indicating the cost thereof, a plate having openings through which said cost indications are visible, a shutter for covering said openings, means for manually operating the shutter, and means automatically locking the shutter operating means against movement when the machine is moved away from zero position.

2, In a measuring and computing machine, means for measuring a length of fabric material, cost indicating means for said measured length of material, a plate having openings therethrough for seeing the cost indicating means, a shutter mounted on the plate for movement to cover said openings or uncover the same, -means for manually moving said shutter to either position, and means operable by the measuring mechanism to control the manual opere.- t-ion of the shutter whereby the shutter uiay be moved when the machine is at initial starting zero position and held from niovement when the machine is at any other position.

3. In a machine of the character described, a sheet metal plate having parallel elongated openings lengthwise thereof and an additional opening located between and near one end of the longitudinal openings, a shutter located against the plate, a manually operable member rotatably mounted on the plate, and connections between said member and the shutter whereby on rotative movement of said member in one rdirection the elongated openings are uncovered and the additional opening partly covered, and in the opposite direction the elongated openings are covered and the additional opening entirely uncovered. i

el. In a machine of the character described, a sheet metal plate having two parallel elongated openings therein, a shutter of sheet metal of rectangular outline having an elongated rectangular opening therein., two disks located one at each side of the plate and at one end thereof, a pivot inember connecting the disks and rotatably .mounting the same on the plate, a pivotal connection between an end of the shutter and one of the disks, a link bar pivotally connected at one end to the other disk, a lever pivotally mounted between its ends on the plate, and pivotal connections between one end of the lever and the shutter between the other end of the lever and the opposite end of the link bar and means for manually turning the disks, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. In a measuring machine including cost indicia, a plate having openings for showing the cost indicia, a shutter operable to open or close said openings, means' for manually moving the shutter to either position, and means controlled by the mechanismrof the machine for rendering said shuttermoving means inoperative except at the starting :aero position of the machine.

6. In a mechanism of the character described, a plate having openings for showi cost iiid"cia, a shutter movable to either open or close said openings, means for manually moving said shutterto either posit-ion, a, locking bar, spring means normally holding the locking bar in engagement with the manually operable means to prevent operation thereof, and means associated with said llocking bar for moving thelockingbar against the force of said spring means to an inoperative position when the mechanism is at starting zero position. y

In a mechanism of the character de- V"red, a measuring machine including a iring roller adapted to be drivenvby ioiial contact with cloth therewith, a driven by the measuring roller, said making one revolution for each unit n of material passing the measuring rol er, an inches and fractions drum fixed on the shaft, a plate located over the drum and having anopening therein directly over the drum', a shutter movably mounted on the plate and movable to partially cover opening and the inches indications on the drum when in one position and to wholly uncover the opening and drum in another position, means for manually moving the shutter to either position, means mounted to engage with the manually operable means and operable for rendering said manually operable means inoperative, and means engaging with said last mentioned means when the machine is at initial zero position to move said last mentioned Vmeans to,in-'

operative position to free the same for manually moving` the shutter.

8. In a machine of thel class described, a measuring roller adapted to be Operated by frictional contact of fabric drawn thereover, a shaft operated by said' drum, -said shaft making one revolution for each unit Ilength of material passed by the roller, a

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opening to thereby cover the inches indicia on the drum, and means for locking said manually operable means against movement When the machine is at other than zero position.

9. In a machine of the class described, a measuring roller, a cost indicating rchart driven thereby, a plate over the chart having openings to disclose the cost indications on the chart, a shutter movably mounted on the plate, means 'for manually moving` the shutter to open or closed position, a locking bar, spring means normally tending to move the locking bar into engagement with said manually moving means to lock the same against operation, and means for overcoming said spring means whereby the locking bar may be moved to inoperative positionl when the machine is at or returns to zero position.

10. In a machine of the class described, a measuring roller, a threaded shaft on Which said roller is secured, a nut mounted on the shaft, a p-ivotally mounted member,

a locking bar connected thereto, spring means normally tending to draw said member and locking bar in one direction, means actuated by said nut and engaged with said member for moving the said member and attached locking bar in the opposite direction against the spring When the machine is at zero position, a cost indicating chart, a plate With openings therein over the chart, a shutter movably mounted on thel plate,

means for manually moving the shutter to either open or close said openings, said manually moving means being normally engaged and held by thelocking bar against operation said nut automatically acting on the locking bar When the machine is at zero position tor moving it out of engagement with said moving means.4

1i, in machineV of the class described, measuring mechanism including a measuring roller and a cost computing chart actuated thereby, a base on which said mechanism is mounted, a casing covering the mechanism having an opening at its upper side, a plate With openings therethrough mounted above the chart, a shutter movably mounted on the plate to cover or uncover the openings inthe plate, means to which the shutter is attached mounted on the plate for movement to actuate the shutter, a manually operable member mounted on the casand engaged With said means, a locking bar adapted to engage With said 'means and hold it against movement in either position to which it is moved, and means :.utomatically operated by the measuring mechanism on its return to Zero position to move said locking bar away from said means thereby freeing it for operation to actnate the shutter. i

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature.

ANTHONY VANDERVELD. 

